Choosing a Publisher, Networking, Self-Publishing

Self-publising top 10: Advantage 1

1 – Authors are required one-time only upfront investment…

Yes, quality self-publishing services will require a one-time upfront investment. While not as important as your book pricing structure, distribution, and royalties on the back-end. Upfront service prices deserve a quick look.

Here are a couple of red flags.

1. HUGE DISCOUNTS! PUBLISH NOW AND SAVE XX%!!!
There are more than enough self-publishers offering HUGE savings. Always. That usually indicates that the savings aren’t real. Instead, packages and/or services are artificially inflated. This is true in any business across every industry. You’ve worked hard. You deserve what you pay for. I was born in Vegas. Ever been? Be wary of the bright, flashing lights.

2. GET PUBLISHED FOR FREE!!! (the opposite end of the spectrum)

Business 101. Nothing is free. It’s worth taking a look at the contract and asking, what am I really getting here. Not a good time to fall to instant gratification. You’ve worked hard and deserve a publisher that works for you in return. Again, make sure your get what you pay for. Well worth it is the time researching a publisher that will partner with you to publish your book as successfully as possible.

A quality self-publisher will value you, and upfront prices will stand by that.

– Karl

have fun and keep writing…

Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

Self-publishing Advantages – Fill in the Blank…

I sat down today to a quick brainstorm outlining the advantages of partnering with a top notch custom self-publisher, but came up just shy of double digits. Help!

Self-publishing Advantages top 10 list:

1 – Authors are required one-time only upfront investment…

2 – Authors only have to purchase books they know will sell…

3 – Authors have the control to set their own book profit or royalty percentages…

4 – Authors set their custom wholesale book pricing…

5 – Authors set their book’s retail price…

6 – Authors can work with a design team on their unique custom book cover…

7 – Authors are in control of the editing and proof process, publishing nothing they don’t expressly approve…

8 – Books don’t see print caps and never go out of print…

9 – Authors keep exclusive rights to their work

10 –

– Karl

Uncategorized

Why not put Self-publishing in its place…

Paraphrased from the pen of an insightful publishing executive:

Sometimes choosing exactly the right words can be difficult, especially with so many available in the English language. So many contexts. Specific syntax. Audiences. What a remarkable discovery was the thesaurus. I dare say discovery not invention, because hey, wasn’t it inevitable? As writers, we’d be lost without it. Even among the most encyclopedic, how can we deny the thesaurus as an invaluable tool?

When Peter Mark Roget first published the thesaurus in 1852, die-hard dictionary-purists most likely refused to recognize its value. How many years or generations must have passed before the thesaurus and dictionary were to coexist in compliment of each other as they do now? No one thinks twice about picking up the one most appropriate at any given time.

It would be futile to engage a conversation regarding which is better – the dictionary or the thesaurus. They serve different functions. Need several definitions of a word to choose from? Pick up the dictionary. Need to choose the best definition? The thesaurus will deliver.

Let’s consider self-publishing as the thesaurus. The traditional publishing houses in New York are the dictionaries. One isn’t better than the other – they are just different. Serve different ends in the broader order of writing. But all writers, even dictionary-purists, would do well to consider using both. Brings to mind our recent news about Steven Covey’s decision to self-publish.

Food for thought as you keep up the most important task – writing.

– Karl Schroeder

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self Published Book Review of the Week: Unstoppable Confidence

Unstoppable Confidence

by Astrid Harris

This self-published book was recently reviewed by www.readerviews.com:

Life coach and author Astrid Harris describes her new book, “Unstoppable Confidence,” as ‘lifechanging’ and ‘a ticket to a whole new life.’ Are these things possible coming from a workbook comprised of only 29 pages? Harris thinks so.

“Unstoppable Confidence” is divided into six different lessons meant to be read individually and their strategies practiced thoroughly before moving on to the next section. Within each, there are ample writing areas for the reader to answer questions relating to their own situation, thereby personalizing the exercises and assignments. Harris utilizes each reader’s personal belief system and a deserving role model to further explain her empowering techniques.

As someone who has studied Daniel Goleman’s “Emotional Intelligence,” I had great doubts as to Astrid Harris’ ability to get the basic concept of self-awareness and self-confidence across in a mere 29-page workbook but I was pleasantly surprised. Without going into an enormous amount of detail, she explains self-confidence and the importance of knowing the ‘why’ behind various integral aspects of personality such as religious beliefs, personal convictions, opinions, etc. Her questions to the reader are thought-provoking and lead them on to further questions and deeper considerations. Her language and intents are easily understandable and free of the psychological jargon commonly found in books of the same genre.

“Unstoppable Confidence” is an easy to absorb book and perfect for someone with no prior studies or background in psychology. Its succinct format allows for even the busiest person to learn its methods without a great deal of time spent reading. Although additional resources at the end of the book for further study would have been nice to see, Harris gives her readers enough to get their confidence-boosting balls rolling. Ironically, the excitement and motivating nature she exudes in the pages of “Unstoppable Confidence” is not reflected in its bland and nondescript cover.

“Unstoppable Confidence” by Astrid Harris is a surprising find. Short, sweet, and to the point, these methods cater to already-overflowing schedules and frazzled minds with too much going on. Astrid Harris’ work is more like the ‘executive version’ of much thicker confidence building books yet with the same crucial information. Higher confidence and deeper self-knowledge is as quick as today.

For more information or to order the book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/unstoppableconfidence

Networking, Self-Publishing

Exploring Affiliate Options in Self-publishing

With the inevitable, ongoing explosion of print-on-demand, there are more authors than ever before dipping their feet into the self-publishing game. In fact, the term dipping feet may be an understatement considering the volume of new, developing, and somewhat esoteric information involved in self-publishing. Some authors come from the traditional arena and have a degree of knowledge and understanding corresponding with their experience. Other authors may have independently published books in the past, consider themselves savvy, and are now seeking the advantages that come from joining forces with a full-service print-on-demand self publisher.

The great majority, however, are new authors, anxious to learn, but not possessing much history or background in the industry. They often rely upon the information they read on the internet, hear from friends/associates, or receive from their publisher. In fact, the term self-publishing has expanded in scope to include publishing content in blogs, forums, online newsletters, even videos.

You may find yourself somewhere along that continuum or in the process of researching publishing options for your own material. Have you considered that your expertise can benefit other writers while at the same time earning you additional income? The process is called Affiliate Marketing and a great opportunity offered through various self-publishing leaders.

Affiliates can often earn up to 10% or more for each author they refer. Here are the nuts and bolts:

It’s perhaps the easiest and fastest way to share your knowledge as an industry thought leader while at the same time expanding your own platform and earning extra income in the home based internet business, and you do not have to develop your own service. Instead, generate revenue by simply referring authors to recognized, professional custom self-publishing services through the credibility your experience provides. What’s more, you get to see the investment that comes from seeing authors reach their publishing goals.

– Karl

Have fun and keep writing

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Unstoppable Confidence

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